Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

Mid-July, the height of summer.

It was rare for Shengjing to experience a heavy rain.

After sunset, a sudden downpour drenched the land, which had been scorched by the sun all day, instantly dissipating most of the unbearable heat. The evening breeze, carrying the fragrance of the earth, brought a touch of coolness.

Inside the Phoenix Palace, the Empress changed out of her training clothes and, with the help of palace maids, began to wash and dress. Meals were already prepared on the table in the warm pavilion, awaiting Emperor Wulong's arrival to dine after finishing his official duties.

Granny Cen hurried through the corridor, holding an umbrella, and said before even entering the door, "Your Highness, the Duke has sent someone back with another message."

The Empress, who was doing her hair, paused slightly, instantly losing interest in choosing jewelry. She casually picked up a gold hairpin and handed it to a palace maid, turning back to ask, "What did that rascal write this time?"

Thinking of her younger brother, whose flowers, when they do bloom, are spectacular, gives her a headache.

These days she has been restless and unable to eat or sleep, constantly thinking about how to dispel his idea. She thought about arranging another marriage for him, and she also thought about coercing him to give up. She even thought about breaking the brat's legs, but no matter how much she thought about it, none of these methods could solve the problem.

She knew her younger brother well; he was more stubborn than an ox, and once he made up his mind, he wouldn't turn back.

It wasn't that she was old-fashioned or cared about worldly opinions, but rather that she was afraid her husband would make a scene if he found out. The relationship between the two brothers-in-law was already irreconcilable, and if her own brother were to act rebelliously, their enmity would definitely only intensify.

If things escalate like that, it's just a joke.

She could even picture her younger brother leading troops to besiege the city, while her husband flew into a rage, mobilizing the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and the two of them fighting to the death.

Don't dare to think. Don't dare to think.

She had hoped to find a way to reconcile things before her child returned to Beijing, but the brat wouldn't give her a chance to breathe. Before she could even process the contents of the previous letter, a new one arrived.

The thought that her younger brother might have written another long piece about his deepest love made her temples throb.

Granny Cen hesitated for a moment, then handed the letter forward, saying, "Your Highness, please read it yourself."

She's too old to handle stress.

The Empress smiled bitterly and reluctantly took the letter and opened it.

She was somewhat relieved to see what was ahead; it turned out that the brat could hear the little deer's thoughts. But when she looked further ahead, she squinted and suddenly realized that she couldn't read anymore.

The Empress rubbed her forehead, her head aching. "Granny, can you check if my eyes are playing tricks on me again?"

Granny Cen paused for a moment, then took the letter with a strange expression. "Your Highness, you didn't misread it. The Duke said he hates the Seventh Prince."

The Empress groaned, "Granny, my head hurts so much!"

How could you hate me like that? It's only been a few days!

What about all that love written on the paper before that?

What does it matter if she can't eat or sleep these days?

As composed as Granny Cen was, she quickly analyzed the pros and cons, saying, "Your Highness, I'm afraid this is not good! If the Duke harbors hatred towards the Seventh Prince, given his nature, he might do something to harm the Seventh Prince!"

The Queen jumped up in alarm. "What are we going to do?!"

If A-Yue really attacks Xiao-Lu, it could really escalate into a war.

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Granny Cen's eyes. "This old servant believes that love is always better than hate. Rather than letting the Duke resent the Seventh Prince, it would be better to help the two of them get together."

"In this way, for the sake of the Seventh Prince, the Duke will surely be much more amiable towards the Emperor. As for the Emperor, with the Seventh Prince and you here, there's no need to worry about not being able to persuade him."

"Even if the Emperor makes a huge fuss, as long as the Duke is more tolerant, nothing will happen."

"That makes sense." The Empress nodded thoughtfully.

As the saying goes, pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. If she can't control her stubborn younger brother, can she not control her husband who obeys her every command?

The Empress immediately slammed her hand on the table, ordered the palace servants to bring paper and pen, and began to write a letter in a long and flowing style.

"Xiao Lu is devoted to the country and did not mean to deceive you. You are ten years older than him, so you should be more tolerant of him."

"Have a good talk with Xiaolu, and make sure she doesn't do anything she'll regret."

"Your older sister agrees to you being together. As long as you're both doing well, your older sister has no other requests."

"As for the Emperor, my sister will find a way."

After writing the letter, the Empress immediately ordered someone to send it away, fearing that Emperor Wulong would see it when he arrived.

Emperor Wulong arrived at Fengyi Palace close to midnight. Upon entering, he sighed repeatedly. Seeing his worried expression, the Empress asked with concern, "Has something happened?"

She secretly clenched her fingers, wondering if she had heard some rumors.

Emperor Wulong sighed and said, "Something has happened to the Qin family."

The Empress breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of curiosity rising within her. "The Qin family has always been cautious and prudent. What major event could have happened to cause you such worry?"

Emperor Wulong frowned, hesitated, and after a long while said in a deep voice, "Qin Tan's real wife has returned."

With a deafening roar, purple lightning exploded in the night sky.

Inside the woodshed of the Qin family mansion, Meng Tianhong lay on a haystack, staring blankly at the roof with a hole in it. Outside, thunder and rain raged, but he seemed oblivious to it.

Lightning ripped through the night sky, illuminating his pale face.

Suddenly, the dilapidated wooden gate was gently pushed open from the outside. Qin Rongrong looked around carefully and squeezed through the door.

Her face was pale, and her eyes welled up with tears when she saw Meng Tianhong, who was dressed in a disheveled state, in the woodshed.

After confirming that no one had discovered them, she stepped forward with tears in her eyes and sobbed, "I've led them away. You should leave now and never come back!"

Meng Tianhong snapped out of his daze and frowned, saying, "Nonsense! You shouldn't have come to a place like this!"

Qin Rongrong cried even harder, wiping away tears as she untied the ropes binding him. "But I don't want you to die. Everyone says you ruined Mother, that you've usurped her place for over a decade, but I can see that woman isn't my mother, she's a devil!"

"You believe me?" Meng Tianhong was stunned, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He didn't cry when he was exposed, and he didn't cry when he was beaten black and blue, but a single sentence from the child he had raised since childhood completely shattered his defenses.

He hugged Qin Rongrong, who was trembling with tension and fear, and said with tears in his eyes, "Good child, your mother did not lie to you. I really did not harm your birth mother."

Qin Rongrong nodded repeatedly, choking back tears, the girl's tears falling like pearls from a broken string.

"Yes, I believe you!" Qin Rongrong sniffed, steadying her trembling hands. "Father believes you too, otherwise he wouldn't have held that woman back, giving me a chance to save you. You should leave quickly, before anyone finds out!"

Meng Tianhong shook his head with a bitter smile. "No, your father doesn't believe me. He's just too kind and can't bear to see me die. I can't leave yet. That woman's resurrection is too strange. I'm worried about you all."

"But..." Qin Rongrong was about to speak when a woman's smiling voice called out from the heavy rain.

"Rongrong? Rongrong, where are you? Come to your mother quickly, my good daughter. Are you playing hide-and-seek with your mother? If you get caught, you'll be punished."

Qin Rongrong felt a chill run down her spine and trembled even more violently.

Meng Tianhong hugged her daughter and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Mother is here."

Qin Rongrong nodded, mustered her courage, reached for the window, and peered out through the sealed window crack.

But in the pouring rain, her birth mother, Lin, covered in bloodstains, was slowly walking toward the woodshed, clutching a pair of scissors that were still dripping blood.

Amidst the lightning and thunder, one could see Lin's face bearing a stiff and eerie smile, like a deadly ghost.

Qin Rongrong's legs went weak, and she shrank under the window, too afraid to look any further.

Through her teary eyes, she looked at Meng Tianhong and said in a trembling voice, "Blood, so much blood, Father, Father might be in trouble..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the door to the woodshed was kicked open with a bang. Lin Shi, who had been some distance away from the woodshed, suddenly appeared outside the door, grinning and saying, "My dear daughter, I've found you."